POP MUSIC | RECORD RACK

In Brief

* * * Jules Shear, "Between Us," High Street.

Love's road, as Shear navigates it, holds more than its share of potholes, but his achingly lovely melodies, smart lyrical turns and the intertwined voices in these 15 duets--with partners from Paula Cole and Freedy Johnston to Carole King and Margo Timmins--prevent romantic bleakness from becoming all-consuming.

*

Albums are rated on a scale of one star (poor), two stars (fair), three stars (good) and four stars (excellent).